ABSTRACT
At this meeting on February 16, 2001, Fox and Bush pledged to work together to address the questions of Mexican migration to the United States, a topic that would play a dominant role for the duration of their presidencies. More importantly, the presidents believed that the sun had just risen over a new, better relationship between the United States and Mexico and that they were the key actors at the dawn of a bright new future. Yet, coinciding with this bilateral summit, President Bush ordered an air strike on Iraq, and it was the bombing of Iraq that riveted the journalists who asked questions at the joint press conference. That foundational moment, which combined hugs and war, would shape and shake U.S.–Mexican relations for the balance of their presidencies.1
